Our government today draws from many different political philosophies. Throughout this paper, I will pick out a couple points that I agree and disagree with. I don’t consider myself more one sided than another. I truly believe in and I also disagree with multiple points of each party of our government. Societal order begins with laws and commands. Laws help maintain peace within society. If we, as a society, give up a small fraction of our individual freedom, we will receive protection from our government. When we go to the airport, as annoying as it is, and as long as it takes, going through security helps keep us safe. One characteristic of classical liberalism that I agree with is our natural rights. Knowing that I can’t be stopped and
With America now in its very earliest days of being a new nation, any and all actions taken by the government would have lasting impacts on the development of the country and, going forward, would set a precedent for the future. After the Revolution and signing of the Declaration of Independence, America was no longer a sparse group of colonies aggregated along the Eastern coast. America was the start of something entirely new and profound to the modern world: democracy. Because of its hot and fiery origins, the founding fathers of America and intellectuals of the age — whether war veterans or legislators — were very much divided on the vision of America’s future. Thus, the roots of political parties were set in the course of American history forever. From the period 1789 to 1800, political parties developed from an insurmountable difference in opinion in leading a nation. These stark differences and
Another area in which it is suggested that modern liberalism has departed from classical liberalism is freedom. Classical liberals believe in negative freedom. This is simply that there should be an absence of external constraints on the individual and as such they should be left alone to make their own choices. In this way classical liberals were heavily influenced by the natural rights theories of John Locke and Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson claimed that we were born with inalienable rights and therefore no individual or government had the right to take these away. Freedom from constraints is therefore an essential condition for exercising these rights. In practise, this has meant that classical liberals have advocated a minimal state or what John Locke referred to as the ‘night-watchman state’. The activities of this state should be limited to the enforcement of contracts, maintaining order and protection from foreign threats to prevent the state from infringing on individual liberties as much as possible.
It is worth noting that is so as long as the liberties of others are not restricted. It is from this perspective that the basis for opposition is viable as opposed to the use of government to attain social objectives. Classical liberalism focuses on private initiatives or the free market to guide and foster the best outcomes. From history, classical liberalism has fueled support for religious and civil liberties. Classical liberalism can be rather viewed as an embrace of an individual’s right to do his or her own thing.
In the United States we are divided by the left and right side on the political spectrum; even further divided into political parties such as Republicans, on the right, and Democrats, on the left side. These two political parties show philosophical differences through their viewpoints on major topics such as the economy, separation of church and state, abortion, and gun control.
The myth I chose, was “The Myth of Government being a necessary evil”; because I found it to be the origin or root cause of more than just one detrimental misrepresentation of our government. In order to prove that, I will demonstrate exactly how these myths can be so damaging to America; in both the short and long-term. And by the use of specific examples, I will establish a rigorous narrative and tone of exactly how I support the necessity of ideologies these harmful myths leave behind. Because I as an American citizen, understand that our culture and nation has been ingrained with the necessity for conflicting views and opinions (Gitelson 380). Finally, I will conclude precisely the ever-lasting effects these myths can play on our country; but also argue that it can play a positive role in shaping public opinions and in giving force and direction to the debates on hand.
Many people do not realize all the advantages that America gives to us. The "bill of rights" is the backbone to what freedom is all about. Having these rights is a blessing to all who embrace this country. But even though society is allotted freedoms society cannot take advantage of them. Boundaries have to be drawn especially when it comes to using our freedoms in public. The first thing that comes to mind when I think of public order is that if the United States did not have order in public then how much disarray would the United States be in today. I truly believe if the United States did not have order there would be so many more problems than before. In addition Public order could be in connection with personal perception of
Politics is defined as the activities associated with the governance of a country or other area, especially the debate or conflict among individuals or parties having or hoping to achieve power. I think this definition is perfect for American politics. Our government is constantly changing. There are new members of government being voted in, committees trying to get their ideas voted into law, and the Supreme Court is constantly interrupting the Constitution in new ways for our ever changing society. This all is included in the debate and conflict of parties trying to gain a foothold of power in our ever changing democracy. I think democracy looks far different today than in the founding fathers time. I am excited to further discuss my thoughts in this reflection paper.
Although liberals agree about the value of liberty, their views on what it means to be ‘free’ vary significantly. It was Isaiah Berlin who first created the concepts of negative and positive freedom that helped to differentiate between the two liberals’ views of freedom. The concept of negative freedom was adopted by classical liberals, who believed that freedom was defined as being left alone and free from interference. Classical liberals believed this theory to mean that individuals should be free from external restrictions or constraints. Modern liberals, on the other hand, believed in positive freedom. This, modernist’s perceived to means that all individuals have the ability to be their own master, and thus reach full autonomy. Unlike classical liberals, who had little faith in humankind, Modernists conveyed humans in a much more positive light: people are rational beings that are capable, and therefore should be able, to flourish and
James Madison once said, “Liberty may be endangered by the abuse of liberty, but also by the abuse of power.” Back before our new technology existed, liberty was considered sacred. It was a privilege, but also a right. Although there are times when we need a little bit of guidance, the government did give us the right to choose for ourselves what to do. Slowly, these rights are being taken away from us. Civil liberties are freedoms that the government cannot abridge no matter what. Everyone deserves these rights, but they are being taken away and we do not realize it when it is happening even in today’s society.
McKenna, George and Stanley Feingold. Taking Sides, Clashing View on Political Issues, 17th Edition. Dubuque, IA: McGraw Hill, 2011.
The shake up following the results of the presidential election has led to some much needed reflection. Much of that reflection has been misdirected to voters, the Electoral College, the two-party system. Many rightfully worry about growing sexism, racism, and xenophobia. We, of course, all must take the time we need to heal and come to terms with the reality of these next four years. But in a time when many “isms” are being hurled, we should instead strive for pragmatism.
Order and freedom are both necessary and beneficial towards the citizens and society with the aim to promote harmony, yet they both contradict each other. This contradiction has existed throughout many years and it is still hard to decide which one is ideal for the society. This essay will discuss and analyze if order or freedom is more important for political systems.
The purpose of this paper is intended to summarize my views on what has influenced my understanding of politics and government prior to taking this class, and how my understanding is now since completing this course.
Have you ever wondered about the role of government in society? Henry Cloud, a leadership expert and psychologist, claims that “every human being must have boundaries in order to have successful relationships or a successful performance in life” (Cloud). However, on the broader spectrum, can this message also apply to our government? Even if you have not considered these two questions, you will certainly have expectations from the government, which may be related to your wellbeing and/or the society’s wellbeing. Since each individual has different expectations, it is easier to analyze the role of government by considering societal expectations. Societal expectations are commonly shared views about the role of an exceptional government, which would include security, right to equal opportunity, and economic prosperity. Thus, the role of a government is to ensure that the country is moving towards economic prosperity along with providing security to its residents. However, does this mean that all of the government’s decisions are directed towards this responsibility? Unfortunately, this is not always the case; there are many times of when a government oversteps its boundaries by hindering economic progress or sacrificing domestic security. One example of this would be the USA’s decision to send its military aid to Pakistan for fighting terrorism. Nonetheless, there are also many times of when a government acts within its boundaries by ensuring the protection of its residents.
An interactive system of democratic-republican constitutionalism that preserves our freedoms and promotes our moral and material progress is what is needed in our political party platform. The ideal party combines the policies of all the four pre-existing political party, from sweeping financial reform that provides economic security for families, a broader strategic rebalancing of American foreign policy and the investment of clean air technologies. These policies allow a more efficient running government that would appeal to the people and allow a more prosperous future.